Junking the Jungle: How KFC is driving rainforest destruction and tiger extinction

Publication: 23 May 2012

KFC is one of the most prominent fast food brands around the world yet has made no commitments to ensure its purchase of products such as soya, palm oil and paper don’t contribute to rainforest destruction. Now Greenpeace International research has revealed that KFC is sourcing paper for its packaging products from rainforests. This has been confirmed in China, the UK and Indonesia. Products found to contain rainforest fibre include cups, food boxes, French fries holders, napkins and the famous chicken buckets. Greenpeace research has tracked a number of these products back to Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), a company that continues to rely on rainforest clearance in Indonesia.

By purchasing from APP and by using paper made from rainforests, KFC and its parent company Yum! are driving the destruction of forests in countries like Indonesia. These forests are a key defence against climate change and are habitat for many protected species including the critically endangered Sumatran tiger.

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